LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



pome College Series, 



Nuinber 



Fort (/-Four 




BY REV. J. I. BOSWELL. 



NEW YORK: 
PHILLIPS & HUNT 

CINCINNATI: 
WALDEN & STOWE 



H^Sc^l^' 



The "Home College Series" will contain one hundred short papers on 
a wide range of subjects — biographical, historical, scientific, literary, domes- 
tic, political, and religious. Indeed, the religious tone will characterize all 
of them. They are written for every body — for all whose leisure is limited, 
but who desire to use the minutes for the enrichment of life. 

These papers contain seeds from the best gardens in all the world of 
human knowledge, and if dropped wisely into good soil, will bring forth 
harvests of beauty and value. 

They ar# for the young — especially for young people (and older people, 
too) who are out of the schools, wno are full of "business" and "cares," 
who are in danger of reading nothing, or of reading a sensational literature 
that is worse than nothing. 

One of these papers a week read over and over, thought and talked about 
at "odd times," will give in one year a vast fund of information, an intel- 
lectual quickening, worth even more than the mere knowledge acquired, a 
taste for solid reading, many hours of simple and wholesome pleasure, and 
ability to talk intelUgently and helpfully to one's friends. 

Pastors may organize "Home College" classes, or "Lyceum Reading 
Unions," or "Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circles," and help the 
young people to read and think and talk and live to worthier purpose. 

A young man may have his own little " college " all by himself, read this 
series of tracts one after the other, (there will soon be one hundred of them 
ready,) examine himself on them by the " Thought-Outline to Help the Mem- 
ory," and thus gain knowledge, and, what is better, a love of knowledge. 

And what a young man may do in this respect, a young woman, and both 

old men and old women, may do. 

"*> J. H. Vincent. 

New York, Jan., 1838. 



Copyric-ht, ISSS, by Phti-lips & TIitnt. New York. 



ioim Colltge S>trm. "^nmhtx Jforty-foMr. 
FRANCE. 



" Paris ! " cries the conductor of the train. You leave the 
car, submit your baggage to a hasty examination, and then 
take the first vacant cab for the boarding-house or hotel. 
The next morning finds you ready to examine the gay me- 
tropolis of France. 

Paris. — Ten busy days will suffice to give the tourist a 
glimpse of the many objects of interest. The city lies on 
both banks of the river Seiiie, which is spanned by several 
noble bridges. It covers an area of thirty-one square miles, 
and has a population of somewhat over two millions. The 
" Boulevards" are wide streets, planted w4th shade-trees, and 
here are to be found shops filled with all that can please the 
eye. The central point of the city is the Place de la Con- 
corde. It is an open place, adorned with fountains and an 
Egyptian obelisk, and here is a view of public buildings and 
gardens which is unequaled. From this point stretches, for 
more than a mile, a wide avenue, lined with gardens, and 
which ends at a triumphal arch, which is the most imposing 
in the world. 

The most important public building is the Louvre. This 
was once a palace, but is now a museum, rich with the treas- 
ures of ancient and modern art. In the palace of the Lux- 
embourg are paintings by living artists, and at Versailles 
one may read the history of France in the vast number of 
historical pictures which line the walls of the old palace of 
Louis XIV. 

The churches are many and beautiful, and some of them 
have interesting historical associations. 

Most attractive is the street life, especially in early summer. 



FRANCE. 



The gay equipages, the brilliant shops, the crowded cafes, 
the open-air concerts, and the ceaseless tide of people form 
a better picture of Vanity Fair than even Bunyan could 
describe. 

Paris has been for many centuries the most attractive city 
of Europe. It first rose to importance in the Middle Ages, 
when students from afar flocked to its great university. 
Large numbers visited the annual fair. Under Louis XIV. 
the city was beautified, and its political jDOwer was such that 
Paris was France. The Revolution and the rule of the first 
Napoleon followed. Under Napoleon III. the city was well- 
nigh transformed. Spacious streets were opened, and blocks 
of squalid buildings gave way to open squares and massive 
structures. Never had the city been so full of wealth and 
gayety as just before the war with Germany in 1870. Dis- 
aster after disaster followed, and the city was besieged and 
captured. In one terrible week in May, 1871, the Commu- 
nists applied the torch to many public and private buildings, 
and the work of destruction only ceased when they were 
driven out of the city. Peace was restored, and Paris soon 
regained her wealth and repaired her losses. 

France. — A glance at the map will show the position of 
France. It is 600 miles in length, about 500 in width, and 
covers some 200,000 square miles. Mountain barriers sepa- 
rate it from Switzerland and, in part, from Germany, and the 
English Channel separates it from England. The largest of 
its rivers is the Loire, which is navigable for 512 miles of its 
course. The climate is temperate, and the towns on the 
south, as Nice and Mentone, are favorite winter resorts for 
English invalids. Railroads connect all the large towns, and 
the ordinary roads are among the best in Europe. The har- 
bors are few; but large basins and docks have been con- 
structed at the town of Havre. The chief mines are coal 
and iron. The main source of wealth is in agriculture, and 



FRANCE. 



the chief crop is that of grain. The number of land-owners 
is great, and the farmers, as a class, are industrious, and will- 
ing to lend their savings to the government whenever a loan 
is needed. The silk culture dates back to the year 1305, and 
the city of Lyons is the manufacturing center for silk goods. 
Paris is the place where artistic articles in gold, silver, and 
bronze are made, and sent thence over the world. Plate- 
glass, clocks, and exquisite figures in bronze are important 
industries, and at Sevres is a factory, supported by the State, 
where the potter's art has well-nigh reached perfection. The 
commerce is large, though not to be compared with that of 
England. Marseilles is the chief sea-port, and from its spa- 
cious docks vessels sail to Italy, Africa, and the East. 

History. — The history of France runs through many cent- 
uries, and may be divided into two great divisions — before 
the Revolution, and after the Revolution. The year 1789 
marks the end of one period and the beginning of another. 

Before the Revolution, (58 B.C.-1V89 A.D.) — Julius Caesar 
was the first to make France known to the world. He en- 
tered Gaul in 58 B.C., and found three great tribes; and 
from two of these, the Belgians and the Gauls, sprung the 
modern Frenchman. Caesar subdued Gaul, and for four hun- 
dred years it was a province of the Roman empire. The 
savage tribes became a civilized people. This change was 
brought about by Roman law, and also by the introduction 
of the Christian religion in 244 A.D. 

In the fourth century the German hosts crossed the Rhine, 
and in 481 Clavis, a Frank chieftain, subdued France, and 
ruled it. He was the founder of the feudal system, and the 
first of a long line of rulers — greatest of whom was Charle- 
magne, who received from the pope, in 800 A.D., the proud 
title of Emperor of the Romans. France was then in a piti- 
ful condition. There were a few great nobles and bishops j 



FRANCE. 



but the people were poor, and a large part of the population 
were slaves. Feudalism reached its climax when Charles 
the Bold issued, in 861, his famous order to his assembled 
lords, " Let each man defend himself in his fortress ;" and 
the people looked to the nobles, and not to the king, for 
help. 

In 987 Hugh Capet ascended the throne, and was the 
founder of a great dynasty. Paris grew rapidly under his 
reign. A century later the period of the Crusades began, 
prompted by the sermon of Pope Urban at Clermont, and 
stimulated by the preaching of Peter the Hermit. It was 
France which led the armies of Europe to the conquest of 
Jerusalem. At this time Fi-ench glory reached its height, 
for in 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, conquered the 
Anglo-Saxons in a great battle, and was crowned King of 
England. 

Louis IX. reigned from 1245 to 1270. He was the last 
of the great Crusaders. He promoted justice, founded the 
great university of the Sorbonne, encouraged literature, 
and because of his piety is known in history as Louis the 
Saint. 

In 1364 Charles V., surnamed "the Wise," founded the 
great library of Paris, and reformed the current coin. 

War broke out between England and France, and in 1415 
the gallant Henry V. defeated the French army in the famous 
battle of Agincourt. But the tide of battle was turned when 
a peasant girl, Joan of Arc, the " Maid of Orleans," forced 
the English to raise the siege of Orleans and march away. 
To France she was a pillar of light, and the nation followed 
her standard until, sad to say, she was captured by the En- 
glish, and burned as a witch. A statue to her memory stands 
in the old town of Rouen. 

After peace was made with England wars with Italy be- 
gan. These exhausted the wealth and energies of France, 
led to civil war, and then to the despotism of Louis XIV. 



FRANCE. 



Louis XII. (1498-1515) is known as "the father of the 
people," for he ruled them kindly. 

Francis I. followed, and looked with disfavor upon the 
rising Protestant reformers. 

Religious wars broke out between the Huguenots and the 
Roman Catholics, and a terrible massacre of the former took 
place on Saint Bartholomew's day, 1572. The massacre was 
a grievous crime and a political blunder. 

In 1589 Henry IV., the first of the Bourbon dynasty, came 
to the throne. He was a brilliant soldier, and, guided by 
Sully, a great statesman, he granted religious toleration by 
what is known as the "Edict of Nantes." In the midst of 
his plans to make France the leading power in Europe, he 
was killed by the dagger of an assassin. 

If Henry IV. was the best of the Bourbon kings, certainly 
Louis XIY. was the greatest. The genius of Richelieu, the 
greatest of French statesmen, had prepared his way. His 
reign of fifty years is forever memorable. He called around 
him men who had a genius for war, literature, finance, and 
art, and they added splendor to his reign, and wealth and 
glory to France. But the latter years of his lon,^ reign were 
disastrous. His bigotry oppressed and his extravagance im- 
poverished a large number of his people. He died an abso- 
lute monarch, and his despotism paved the way for the Rev- 
olution and the Re23nblic. 

Things grew worse in France under Louis XV. and Louis 
XVL The nation was bankrupt, and the unlimited paper- 
money of a financial adventurer, John Law, added to the 
general distress. Famine began to appear, and discontented 
crowds walked the streets of Paris. Something must be 
done, and the king called an assembly of the States- General 
to decide what that something should be. It met on the 
5th of May, 1789, and that day marks the end of the old 
French monarchy, and the dawn of a new era, not only in 
France, but in Europe. 



6 FRANCE. 



After the Revolution. — The great assembly met, and con- 
sisted of the three estates — the clergy, the nobles, and the 
representatives of the people. The last-named were deter- 
mined to make their power felt. Trouble soon arose, and 
the " National Assembly " was formed. The Bastille — the 
state-prison — was captured and destroyed, royalty abolished, 
Church property confiscated, the Republic proclaimed, the 
king beheaded, and the " Reign of TeiTOr," under Robes- 
pierre, began. In September, 1792, the Republic was pro- 
claimed. 

The French Revolution is in some points the most won- 
derful the world has ever seen. Europe did not understand 
it at the time, and even friends of liberty, like Burke, refused 
it their sympathy because of its excesses. But history jus- 
tifies it, though it does not justify some of its leaders. The 
condition of the nation was unendurable. A corrupt and 
extravagant court, despotic nobles, and more despotic priests, 
famine, poverty, new views of the rights of the people, and 
a longing for liberty, which tyrants may long suppress but 
never destroy — all made the people cry " Liberty, Fraternity, 
Equality." There was abundant cause for the Revolution; 
but the Republic had to fight for its life. Europe was 
against it, and England, under William Pitt, led the way. It 
was thought monstrous for a kingdom, under any provocation, 
to rise against a king who ruled by " divine right," and such 
rebellion must be put down. The doctrine of " armed inter- 
ference" was never more popular than no^v. The Republic had 
foes at home, but the army was with it, and a young soldier 
from Corsica now came to the front — his name, Napoleon 
Bonaparte. His military genius at once shone forth, and his 
military campaigns place him among the first — perhaps the 
first — of the great soldiers of the world. His genius is seen 
in the marvelous application of a few plain principles of mil- 
itary science. He studied the military map with care; he 
believied in heavy artillery; he tried to find out the weak 



FRANCE. 



point of the enemy, and then hurled against it his concen- 
trated forces. He aimed to cover the want of discipline and 
skill by numbers and enthusiasm. He was feared and hated 
"by all Europe from Moscow to Naples ; but he triumphed, 
and in 1804 became Emperor of the French. 

As a statesman, he does not rank as high as a soldier. He 
displayed skill as an organizer, and some of his views were 
liberal; but conscience never stood between him and his 
ambition. He aimed to make France great, but not to make 
her free. 

Wars followed, and the tide of battle began to turn. The 
naval fleet of France was destroyed at Trafalgar; only a 
remnant of the French army retreated from the snows and 
frost of Russia, and in 1813 the decisive battle of Leipsic 
broke the power of France. Napoleon retired to Elba, and 
the allied armies of Europe marched into Paris. 

Ten months later Napoleon landed in France, appealed to 
the army and the people, and entered Paris in triumph. 
Again Europe was in arms to dethi'one him, and on the field 
of Waterloo inflicted a crushing defeat. Napoleon was ban- 
ished to the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821, at 
the age of fifty-two. 

Louis XVIII. now ruled. He was a member of that hate- 
ful Bourbon race " which could never learn and never forget." 
Matters were now approaching a crisis. The clergy and 
nobles had formed the two estates of France; in 1789 the 
people, through their representatives, had demanded a share 
of power as the " third estate;" and now the " fourth estate," 
the public press, demanded a hearing. A young editor, with 
earnest pen, led the fight of reason against tyranny. . It was 
Thiers who thus began his brilliant and honorable public 
career. The three-days' " revolution of July " took place, 
and Louis Philippe, the "citizen king," was placed on the 
throne. Still the country was unsettled, and in February, 
1848, another revolution occurred; the king fled to England, 



FRANCE. 



and Louis Napoleon was elected President. Four years later 
he had himself elected Emperor, and ruled as such for eight- 
een years — from 1852 to 1870. 

He was " the nephew of his uncle," and owed much of his 
success to that fact. He was an adventurer without dignity 
or moral character, and he ruled with a tyrant's sway. He, 
however, removed the restrictions on commerce, and did 
more to make Paris a beautiful and healthy city than any 
ruler before him. 

"The Empire is Peace," he said. Two years later — in 
1854 — the Crimean war took place, and in 1859 the conflict 
with Austria on the plains of Italy. In 1870 war was de- 
clared against Prussia, and France was wild with joy. It 
was a fatal step. Prussia had for years been getting ready 
for the struggle which her great statesman, Bismarck, saw 
was coming, while France had courage, to be sure, but lacked 
almost every thing else. A few months later, and the Prus- 
sian army was at Sedan, and Napoleon and 80,000 French 
troops were prisoners of war. 

Paris proclaimed a Republic, and prepared for the coming 
siege. The city was invested by the Prussian troops, and 
was finally taken. A treaty of peace was made, by which 
France had to pay a large sum of money to Germany, and to 
surrender two of the provinces. While the treaty was pend- 
ing the Communist insurrection plundered and destroyed 
many buildings in Paris, but was finally put down after 
much slaughter. 

The third Republic, established in 1870, had to contend 
against the party which wished to restore the empire, which 
called itself the " party of order." Thiers was forced to re- 
sign, and Marshal MacMahon became President. His triumph 
lasted four years, but in 1877 the popular will forced him to 
resign. Since then the Republic seems to be taking root, 
though it is hard to predict the future. 

In 1873 Napoleon III. died in England, and the hopes of 



FRANCE. 



the Imperialists received a blow in the death of his son, 
Prince Louis. The death of those great leaders of the peo- 
ple, Thiers and Gambetta, produced a profound impression. 
Happy will it be for France if she can maintain tlie Republic, 
and dwell at peace among the other nations of Europe. 

French Traits. — It seems hard for a member of the En- 
glish race to understand a Frenchman. He is so impulsive, 
it is said, and so visionary. He begins a revolution in a 
childish way by changing the names of the streets, and ends 
in a cruel way by the slaughter of innocent people. Such a 
partial view is unjust. The Frenchman has the warm blood 
of the south in his veins, and both the weakness and the 
strength which go with such a temperament. In art he takes 
the place of the Italian of the Middle Ages. His pictures, 
and his exquisite work in bronze and porcelain, are among 
the finest of their kind. Whatever he touches he adorns. 
He rules the fashion in dress, and has made cookery one of 
the arts of life. It is certain that he knows how to j)lease 
the eye and gratify the taste. 

In war he has excelled. The field-marshals of France are 
renowned, and her military terms have passed into the lan- 
guages of other nations. 

The Frenchman loves neatness and order, and he knows 
how to enjoy life on a small amount of money. He is social, 
and loves to walk on the crowded side of the street. He is 
always an animated, often a brilliant, talker; and the French 
salon^ where conversation is a school to teach and learn, 
ought to be transplanted. 

He has the theory of government better than the practice. 
His theories are in the main right, and he speaks well of the 
relations of man to man. But centuries of despotism have 
hindered that love for slow yet sure constitutional methods 
which every Englishman believes in. 

The weak point in his character is that religion holds in 



10 FRANCE. 



his thoughts a secondary place. Politics or pleasure is su- 
preme. Like the ancient Greek, he loves this world and all 
that is lovely in it in nature or in art. " Glory " and " dis- 
play," rather than *' duty " and " conscience," are his watch- 
words, and he lives too much to gratify his senses. 

Literature. — The dawn of French literature begins with 
the eleventh century, and took the form of ballads, which 
were sung by minstrels within castle walls. Of these the 
most famous is the song of Roland, which was found in an 
old manuscript at Oxford fifty years ago. Romances and 
fables followed, and were made use of by our early English 
writers, Chaucer and Pryor. The most celebrated of these 
fables was that of Reynard the Fox, and was a satire on the 
vices of kings, priests, and people. The drama was of early 
growth. At first the plays were semi-religious, but they 
soon degenerated. Chronicles followed, and of these the 
best known are those of Froissart, whose pictures of brave 
knights and fair ladies and feasts and tournaments and bat- 
tles have lost none of their freshness. 

With the fifteenth century literature began to spread. 
Besides poems and chronicles, there were sermons and short 
tales, and treatises on art, science, and household life. But 
with the sixteenth century began that literature which is of 
permanent value. 

The study of the ancient classics and the religious upheaval 
of the Reformation awoke the mind of France, and language 
and literature were enriched by works of genius. Calvin, at 
the age of twenty-seven, wrote his " Institutes," and it was 
the first work of logical French prose. Its influence has 
been deep and far-reaching. Montaigne wrote his " Essays," 
in which there runs a pleasant vein of egotism. They are 
an early example of that style of composition which was 
improved in England by such writers as Bacon and Addison. 
Rabelais is the "great comic jester" of France, and much 



FRANCE. 11 



more than that. His great work was the mirror of the 
times, and reflected the aspirations, the poetry, the learning, 
and the vices of the age. It is sadly marred, as many French 
works are, by grossness and vulgarity. Memoirs now ap- 
peared, and at a bound this form of literature seemed to 
reach perfection. The translator seldom ranks high among 
writers, but Amyot, (1513-1591,) by his translation of 
Plutarch, won the highest praise, and his influence was great 
upon the age. Attention was paid to dramatic literature. 
Corneille wrote the first of modern French tragedies, but was 
soon surpassed by Racine, (1639-1699,) whose dramas, found- 
ed upon Old Testament histories, place him in a high rank. 
Moliere (1622-1673) is a master of comedy, and has never 
been surpassed. No one could expose, as he, the foibles of 
rich upstarts, of literary ladies, and of healthy people who 
fancied themselves sick. 

The "Provincial Letters" appeared, and produced im- 
mense effect. They were written by Pascal. They were 
polished in style, and exposed Jesuitism with that keen, 
good-humored irony of which Pascal is the greatest master 
the world has ever seen. Voltaire (1694-1778) was a pow- 
■erful writer in many fields of literature; but his influence is 
fading. He assailed, not only the Roman Church of his day, 
but the Christian religion. He was a mocker; and his power 
of mockery was exerted sometimes against bigots and tyrants, 
and sometimes against men and truths which the world holds 
■dear. 

But we must pass by a host of lesser writers. Among 
those of whom mention should be made are Rousseau and 
Le Sage, the author of Gil Bias, and that remarkable woman. 
Madam De Stael; and, in recent times, Sainte-Beuve, the 
critic, Victor Hugo, and such powerful writers of fiction as 
George Sand and Balzac. 

To sum up, no French writer can rank with Shakespeare, 
Homer, or Dante. No one ranks in France as does Goethe 



12 FRANCE. 



in Germany. But in the lighter kind of literature, in that 
which . is mirthful and sparkling, France excels. She has 
given us lively tales, charming letters and memoirs, vivacious 
poems, and a vast mass of romances and narratives. It is a 
matter of regret that much of the lighter literature should 
be tainted with impurity, as this will but hasten its decay. 

Governme^it. — The third French Republic was proclaimed 
in 1870, and was confirmed by law in 1875. The will of the 
people is expressed through the Chamber of Deputies elected 
by popular suffrage, through the Senate and the President. 
The latter is chosen by a joint vote of the Chamber of Dep- 
uties and the Senate, and holds ofiice for a term of seven 
years; and he is aided in his work by a Cabinet, which he 
appoints, and which consists of nine ministers. One of these 
is Minister of Public Instruction and the Fine Arts. 

l^ext to these great powers is the Council of State, which 
is to give law opinions to the government, and to be a su- 
preme court of appeal in matters of dispute. 

There are many public officers in France, for every thing 
seems to be under control. The state does not leave as much 
to individual enterprise as in America, but assumes the vast 
power which the old monarchs once had. The Republic is 
much cheaper than the monarchy was. The President re- 
ceives a yearly salary of 1120,000, and $34,000 lor household 
expenses, while Charles X., who began to rule in 1824, re- 
ceived five million dollars a year, and an extra million for 
the princes of the family. The fact is that royalty in every 
nation is an expensive luxury. 

The expenses of the government are, however, very heavy, 
owing in part to the national debt, which was increased be- 
cause of the war with Germany in 1870. Nearly every thing 
is taxed, but if the nation remains at peace the tax will be 
borne more lightly as the wealth increases. 

The standing army is a serious drain on the resources of 



FRANCE. 13 



the nation. Service in the army for several years is com- 
l^ulsory, though some are exempted by physical and other 
causes. The army in time of peace numbers about 44,000 
men. 

The system of national education was founded by the 
National Convention during the Revolution. France is 
divided into sixteen educational districts, and there are nor- 
mal schools for the training of teachers. There are also 
special schools, such as those for the study of ancient art, as 
found in Rome and Athens. The government supports, also, 
^' The Institute of France," composed of five " Academies," 
each of vrhich (with one exception) is composed of forty 
members, who are among the first men of the nation in sci- 
ence, letters, or art. The " French Academy " has charge of 
the language, issues the standard dictionary, and prepares 
criticisms on works of literary merit. It is the highest de- 
sire of French authors to become a member of the " immor- 
tal forty." 

Eeligion. — France, formerly called Gaul, was among the 
first of the countries of Europe in which Christianity was 
established. The first Christians came from Asia Minor. 
Of the Frank kings, Clovis was the first to become a Chris- 
tian, and his example was rapidly imitated. France soon 
rose to be the chief Roman Catholic nation of Europe, and 
remains so unto this day. It has, however, steadily resisted 
the claims of the pope to hold in subjection the civil power. 
The "Pragmatic Sanction" of 1269 confirmed the rights of 
the nation, and it was re-afiirmed at a celebrated assembly 
in 1682, under the leadership of the eminent Bossuet. 

The Protestant reformers were put down by long-contin- 
ued and cruel persecutions, and the massacre of the Hugue- 
nots and the revocation of the merciful " Edict of Nantes " 
are two foul blots on the page of French history. 

French philosophy undermined the Church of Rome, and 



14 FRANCE. 



the French Revolution swept it away; and the "Age of 
Reason" was the reaction against the age of superstition. 
Napoleon, from state motives, re-established the Roman 
Catholic Church in 1801, and it is now a powerful organiza- 
tion. Its archbishops and bishops are appointed by the gov- 
ernment, and confirmed by the pope. 

Of the Protestant Churches, the Reformed and Lutheran 
are now recognized as State Churches, and, like the Roman 
Catholic Church, receive yearly a sum of money for their 
support. 

Some of the clergy of France have been noted for their 
eloquence; and the sermons and other compositions of Bos- 
suet, Fenelon, and Massillon rank among the classics. These 
sermons are of the highest rhetorical finish, and are the fin- 
ished products of the literary art. 

The Roman Catholic Church is rich in property of various 
kinds, and the cathedi'als of Rouen and Paris are noble speci- 
mens of architecture. The Jesuits are prominent among the 
monastic orders, and a number of prominent schools and 
colleges are under their control. Among the important so- 
cieties is that for the " Propagation of the Faith," which is 
the central missionary society to which nearly all countries- 
of the Roman Catholic world contribute. The Roman Cath- 
olic Church in France has, however, little influence in jour- 
nalism, and the number of papers under its control is small. 
The number of convents is great, and from these have come 
some of the great pulpit orators of France. 

The Future of France. It is impossible to predict the 
future history of France. It is certain, however, that Impe- 
rialism is on the wane, and that with every year of peace the 
Republic takes a deeper root in the affections of the people. 
There are, however, great evils to be guarded against. The 
mass of the country people are ignorant, and the mass of the 
people in the cities and towns are excitable and fond of 
change. The love of war is strong, and the desire to wrest 



FRANCE, 15 



from Germany the captured provinces may drive the nation 
into another gulf of misfortune. Popular education will da 
much to guard against these dangers, and the pure Christian 
religion, which teaches jDeace, will do more. With France the 
path of safety is the path of peace, and in that path is na- 
tional wealth to be found. The despotisms of past centuries, 
and the frequent revolutions which followed have done harm 
to the national character which only religion, education, and 
time will cure. 

Though France is a Roman Catholic country, it is tolerant 
in its views. It has fought for centuries the desire of the 
Roman Catholic leaders in Italy, to make the pope supreme 
in both Church and State. It has been forced to yield sa 
far as to assent to the doctrine that the pope, alone and with- 
out the council, was infallible in his decisions on points of 
doctrine; but it still applauds the noble language of Napo- 
leon, who, in 1804, said to the president of the consistory of 
Geneva, " I wish it to be understood that my intention and 
my firm determination are to maintain liberty of worship. 
The empire of the law ends where the empire of the con- 
science begins. Neither the law nor the prince must infringe 
upon this empire." 



NOTES. 

There are many works on the history of France, some of 
them translations from the French. The Revolution has 
been treated by Carlyle, and also by Dickens in his " Tale 
of Two Cities." Consult encyclopedias for reference. Van 
Laun treats of the literature. 

Many authors abound in maxims which reflect the spirit 
of the authors, and sometimes the spirit of the age. Such 
maxims are the following: 

" Religion is still more necessary for those who command 
than for those who obey." 



16 FRANCE. 



" Conscience is the voice of the soul, passions are the voice 
of the body." 

" Modesty is to merit what shadows are to a picture, which 
give it force and relief." 

" Flattery is false money which has currency only because 
of our vanity." 

" Agreeable counsels are seldom useful ones." 

" To pray together, whatever the language or the rite may 

be, is the most effective brotherhood of hope and sympathy 

which men are able to form upon the earth." 

" The virtues which are born of religion are hidden in 
religion itself." 

" There is a Christian friendship which human philosophy 
scarcely comprehends : it is the association of two souls which 
place in common their faith and their prayers, and so are 
raised together toward God." 

" Virtue is an effort made upon ourselves for the good of 
others, and with an intention to please God." 

" Those who give advice without examples are like guide- 
posts which point the way without going in it." 

" Only for the innocent does solitude have charms." 

" Religion gives to virtue sweetest hopes, to impenitent vice 
just alarms, and to true repentance strongest consolations; 
but it tries above all to inspire men with love, with sweet- 
ness, and with pity for men." 

"Love and keep religion, all else dies; that never dies." 

" Modesty is to merit what the shadows are to the picture 
which give it force and relief." 



[iHOXTGHT-OUTLINE TO UELP THE MEMORY.] 

Paris? Size? Gayety ? Influence? France? Area? Boundaries? Indus- 
tries ? Commerce ? 

Before the revolution ? C^sar ? Clavis ? Charlemagne ? Crusades ? War 
with England ? Joan ot Arc? Bourbon kings ? Eevolution? Bonaparte? 
Bourbons again? Kev, ot July? Kev. of 1848? Empire? War with 
Prussia ? Republic ? 

French traits ? Taste? Art? Loveof display ? Literatui-e? Calvin? Mon- 
taigne? Eabelais? Corneille? Racine? Pascal? Voltaire? Victor Hugo? 
De Stael ? 

Government? Comparative economy? President? Cabinet? Senate? 
Chamber of Deputies ? Education ? The Institute ? French Academy ? 

Religion? Roman Catholic ? State Church? Convents? Priests? Future 
outlook? Napoleon's memorable words? 



ox3:.^xjT^5^xjQxj^^ te:2^t-:oook:s. 



, CENTS, 

No. 1. Biblical Exploration. A Con- 
densed Manual on How to Study the 
Bible. By J. H. Vincent, D.D. Full 
and rich IC 

No. 2. Studies of the Stars. A Pocket 
Guide to the Science of Astronomy. 
By H. W. Warren, D.D 

No. 3. Bible Studies for Little People. 
By Rev. B. T. Vincent 

No. 4. English Historv. By J, H. Vin- 
cent, D.D ' 

No. 5. Greek History. By J. H. Vin- 
cent, D.D 

No. 6, Greek Literature. By A. D. 
Vail, D.D 

No. 7. Memorial Days of the Chautau- 
qua Literary and Scientific Circle 

No. 8. What Noted Men Think of the 
Bible. By L. T. Townsend, D.D 

No. 9 William CuUen Bryant . 

No. 10. What is Education? By Prof. 
• Wm. F. Phelps, A.M 

No. 11. Socrates. By Prof. W. F. Phelps, 
A.M., 

No. 12. Pestalozzi. Bv Prof. W. P. 
Phelps, A.M ; 

No. 13. Anglo-Saxon. By Prof. Albert 
S.Cook , 

No. 14. Horace Mann. By Prof. Wm. 
F, Phelps, A.M , 

No. 15. Froebel. By Prof. Wm. P. 
Phelps, A.M 

No. 16. Roman History. By J. H. Vin- 
cent, D.D 

No 17. Roger Ascham and John Sturm. 
Glimpses of Education in the Six- 
teenth Century. Bv Prof. Wm. P 
Phelps, A..M 10 

No. 18. Christian Evidences. By .1. H. 
Vincent, D.D. iQ 



10 



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Freeman, D.D. 

No. 20. The Chautauqua Hand-Book. 

By J. H. Vincent, D.D 

No. 21. American History. By J. L. 

Hurlbut. A.M 

No. 22. Biblical Biology. By Rev. J. 

H. Wythe, A.M., M.D 

No. 23. English Literature. By Prof. 

J. H. Gilmore . 

No. 24. Canadian History. By James 

L. Hughes 

No. 25. Self-Education. By Joseph Al- 

den, D.D., LL.D.. 

No. 26. The Tabernacle. By Rev. John 

C.Hill 

No. 27. Readings from Ancient Classics. 
No. 28. Manners and Customs of Bible 

Times. By J. M. Freeman, D.D 

No. 29. Man's Antiquity and Language. 

By M. S. Terry, D.D 

No. 30. The World of Missions. By 

Henry K. Carroll 

No. 31. What Noted Men Think of 

Christ. By L. T. Townsend, D.D. . . . 
No. 32. A Brief Outline of the History 

of Art. By Miss Julia B. De Forest. . 
No. 83. Elihu Burritt: "The Learned 

Blacksmith." By Charles Northend . 
No. 34. Asiatic History: China, Corea, 

Japan. By Rev. Wm. Elliot Griffis. . 
No. 35. Outlines of General History, 

By J. H. Vincent, D.D 

No. 36. Assembly Bible Outlines. By 

J. H. Vincent, D.D 10 

No. 37. Assembly Normal Outlines. By 

J. H. Vincent, D.D 10 

No. 38. The Life of Christ. By Rev. 

J. L. Hurlbut, M.A 10 

No. 39. The Sunday-School Normal 

Class. By J, H. Vincent, D.D in 



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NOVi/ 



1. Thomas Carlyle. By Daniel Wise, 

D.D. 

2. William Wordsworth. By Daniel 

Wise, D.D. 

3. Egypt. By J. I. Boswcll. 

4. Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. 

By Daniel Wise, D.D. 

5. Rome. By J. I. Boswell. 

6. England. By J. I. Boswcll. 

7. The Sun. By C. M. Westlake, M.S. 

8. Washington Irving. By Daniel Wise, 

D.D. 

9. Political Economy. By G. M. Steele, 

D.D. 

10. Art in Egypt. By Edward A, Rand. 

11. Greece. By J. I. Boswell. 

12. Christ as a Teacher. By Bishop E. 

Thomson. 

13. George Herbert. By Daniel Wise, 

D.D. 



READY. 

No. 



39- 



Diamonds and other Precious 

Stones. By Alfred Taylor. 
Memory Practice. 
Gold and Silver. By Alfred Taylor. 
Meteors. Bv C. M. Westlake, M.S. 
Aerolites. By C. M. Westlake, M.S. 
France. By J. I. Boswell. 



45. Euphrates Valley 



United States. B 



By J. I. Boswell. 
J. I. Boswell. 



By Miss Carrie R. Den- 



47. The Ocean, 
nen. 

48. Two Weeks in the Yosemite and 
Vicinity. By J. M. Buckley, D.D, 

49. Keep Good Company. By Samuel 
Smijes. 

50. Ten Days in Switzerland. By H. B, 
Ridgaway, D.D. 

51. Art in the Far East. By E. A. Rand. 

52. Readings from Cowper. 

53. Plant Life. By Mrs. V. C. Phoebus. 

4. Daniel the Uncompromising Young j 54. W^ords. By Mrs. V. C. Phcebus. 

Man. By C. H. Payne, D.D. | 55. Readings from Oliver Goldsmith. 

5. The Moon. By C. M. Westlake, M.S. 56. Art in Greece. Part I. 



19 



6. The Rain, 

nen. 

7. Joseph Addison. 

D.D. 

8. Edmund Spenser 

D.D. 
China and Japan, cy 
The Planets. By C 

M.S. 



By Miss Carrie E. Den- 



William Hickling 
Daniel Wise, D.D. 

Wise Sayings of the 
Folk. 

William Shakespeare. 
Wise, D.D. 

Geometry 



57. Art in Italy. Part I. 

58. Art in Germany. 
By Daniel Wise, j 59. Art in France. 

1 60. Art in England. 

By Daniel Wise, j 61. Art in America. 

(63. Readings from Tennyson. 

By J. I. Boswell. 163. Readings from Milton. Part I. 

M. Westlake, '' 64. Thomas Chalmers. By Daniel Wise, 
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Prescott. By 65. Rufus Choate. 



Common 
By Daniel 



166. 



35. The Stars. By C. M. Westlake, M.S 
26. John Milton. By Daniel Wise, D.D. 
37. Penmanship. 

28. Housekeeper's Guide. 

29. Themistoclea and Pericles. 

Plutarch.) 

30. Alexander. (From Plutarch.) 

31. Coriolanus and Maximus. 

Plutarch.) 

32. Demosthenes and Alcibiades 

Plutarch.) 

33. The Gracchi. (From Plutaroh.) 

34. Caesar and Cicero. (From Plutarch.) 

35. Palestine. By J. I. Boswell. 

36. Readings from William Words- 

worth. 

37. The Watch and the Clock. By Al- 

fred Taj'lor. 
3t. A Set of Tools. By Alfred Taylor, 



The Temperance Movement ver$u9 

The Liquor System. 
Germany. By J. I. Boswell. 
Readings from Milton. Part II. 
Reading and Readers. By H. C. 

Farrar, A.B. 
The Cary Sisters. By Miss Jennie M. 

Bingham. 
A Few Facts about Chemistry. 
Mrs. V. C. Phoebus. 
(From! 72. A Few Facts about Geology. 
I Mrs. V. C. Pho:bus. 

1 73. A Few Facts about Zoology. 
(From 1 Mrs. V. C Phabus. 

74. Circle (The) of Sciences. 
(From 75. Daniel Webster. By Dr. C. Adams. 
176. The W^orld of Science. 

77. Comets. By C. M. Westlake, M.S. 

78. Art in Greece. Part II. 

79. Art in Italy. Part II. 

80. Art in Land of Saracens. 

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83. Art in Northern Europe, Part II. 

Art in Wsstern Asia. By E. C. 
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